SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers what they believe was the top swimming story of the year:
Question: What was the biggest swimming story of 2025?
RESULTS
- Ledecky v. McIntosh (+Pallister) 800 free spectacle at Worlds – 23.6%
- McIntosh sets three LC world records, wins four golds at Worlds – 23.0%
- Illness impacts World Championships, especially U.S. team – 15.2%
- House settlement alters NCAA landscape – 11.3%
- Marchand’s otherworldly 1:52.69 200 IM – 9.6%
- USA Swimming CEO saga, Phelps’ public criticism – 6.5%
- The emergence of Yu Zidi – 6.2%
- Texas men win NCAA title in first year under Bowman – 1.7%
- Virginia women five-peat at NCAAs – 1.6%
- Other – 1.34
Summer McIntosh was front and center in 2025.
From her incredible performances in the pool, to her highly anticipated showdown with Katie Ledecky in the 800 free at the World Championships, and even the coaching and training base changes she made, McIntosh was constantly making headlines throughout the year, and that was reflected in our last poll of 2025.
We asked SwimSwam readers what they believed was the top swimming story of the year, and the top two selections, which combined to earn 46.6% of all votes, both directly involved the Canadian superstar.
According to the poll results, the top story was the hype and spectacle that was the women’s 800 freestyle at the World Championships, where McIntosh would lock horns with Ledecky in the event for the first time on the major international stage.
Ledecky has been untouchable in the 800 free throughout her career, but in the 18 months leading into Singapore, McIntosh had started to establish herself in the event, becoming the second-fastest performer of all-time in February 2024 (8:11.07) before joining Ledecky in the sub-8:10 club in early 2025 (8:09.86).
Things continued to heat up in the second quarter of the year, as Ledecky stunningly broke her nine-year-old world record in the event at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series stop in May in a time of 8:04.12, erasing her 8:04.79 mark that had been on the books since the 2016 Olympics.
One month later, McIntosh responded, as one day after smashing the world record in the 400 free, she produced the third-fastest swim of all-time in the 800 free at the Canadian Swimming Trials, clocking 8:05.07.
Coming into 2024, prior to McIntosh’s 8:11.0 performance, Ledecky was the fastest swimmer in history by eight and a half seconds, but now, that margin had shrunk to just 95 one-hundredths.
At the 2025 World Championships, when the chips were down, it was ultimately another legendary Ledecky performance that got the job done, as she eventually gapped McIntosh and managed to outduel Australian Lani Pallister to win gold in a time of 8:05.62, with Pallister breaking 8:10 for the first time with a shocking 8:05.98 swim for silver, and McIntosh settling for bronze in 8:07.29.
However, that was the lone blemish on McIntosh’s individual record in Singapore, going on to win four individual titles with wins in the women’s 400 free (3:56.26), 200 fly (2:01.99), 200 IM (2:06.69) and 400 IM (4:25.78).
At the Canadian Trials in June, in addition to her swim in the 800 free, she also set new world records in the 400 free (3:54.18), 200 IM (2:05.70) and 400 IM (4:23.65), setting new barriers in all three.
She became the first woman sub-3:55 in the 400 free, taking down Ariarne Titmus‘ year-old world record of 3:55.38. She entered new territory by breaking 2:06 in the 200 IM, erasing Katinka Hosszu‘s decade-old record of 2:06.15. And in the 400 IM, she continued to raise the bar, breaking her own world record of 4:24.38, giving her the distinction of being the only woman sub-4:26, 4:25 or 4:24, with Hosszu standing as the #2 performer ever at 4:26.36.
One of the biggest talking points throughout the year, however, was the 200 fly, where McIntosh took a good run at what many regard as the most vaunted women’s world record on the books, Liu Zige‘s 2:01.81 mark from 2009. McIntosh clocked 2:02.26 at the Canadian Trials and then went 2:01.99 at Worlds, giving her the #2 and #3 swims in history.
With four individual golds in Singapore, McIntosh became the second female in history to do so at a single World Championships, joining Ledecky (2015), while her five individual medals also made her just the second woman ever to do so, joining Sarah Sjostrom (2019).
McIntosh’s overall performances, between her world record swims and her medal haul at the World Championships, was a close runner-up in the poll behind the 800 free, earning 23.0% of votes.
The option receiving the third-most votes was the lingering illness that first started affecting members of the U.S. team at their pre-Worlds staging camp and then ended up following the athletes to Singapore.
Referred to as “acute gastroenteritis” by USA Swimming, several medal favorites either withdrew from some events or performed well below their usual level, including Gretchen Walsh sitting out of the U.S. women’s 4×100 free relay and the individual 100 free, while reigning Olympic champion Torri Huske skipped the women’s 100 fly. The illness also affected swimmers from other nations, including gold medal challenger Sam Short being forced to drop the final of the men’s 800 free after having already qualified.
Just over 15% of readers voted for the illness as the top story of the year, and the other option earning more than 10% of votes was the landmark House settlement with the NCAA, officially allowing schools to pay student-athletes.
What many believe was the best performance of the year, and one of the greatest ever, Leon Marchand‘s 1:52.69 in the 200 IM, fell just shy of cracking 10% of votes, picking up 9.6%. In what was a relatively quiet year for Marchand, he still produced arguably the best swim of 2025, swept the medley events at the World Championships, and was crowned Male Swimmer of the Year in our Swammy Awards.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Which World Junior champion do you believe will take the biggest step in 2026:
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
US bias is so big with this one, Nowacki should be way higher.
Though Katie is the legend & Summer the rising star, I expect Lani to really step up over the next few years.
Summer is not the rising star
She IS a super star.
Has Mizuki Hirai arrived at Tennessee yet? Before I buy stock in her for 2026 I’ll have to see how she does there.
This poll outcome reversed. I voted for women’s 800 and was a bit surprised that Summer’s overall tally was leading. But then I noticed it was tight voting.
A few days ago I saw that it had changed leaders.
Perhaps we should storm SwimSwam headquarters and destroy everything under confidence all will be forgiven in a few years
Awsi Dooger + bad takes = iconic duo.
Best race I’ve ever seen. Better than the Athens race of the century. The shock factor of Lanis like 5 second PB and the unfamiliarity of the audience watching not only 1 but 2 swimmers right with Katie at a championship 800. And no one has broken away at 100 to go, and at 50 to go. And to cap it off, Lanis late surge leaving uncertainty right to the wall. And all swimming some of the fastest times ever. And capping it off again, the champion cannot be beaten.
By far this is my favourite women’s race. By far better than the women’s 400 free and it’s been over 6 months since it happened and I still come back and find myself watching it every few days. That and Katie’s new WR
Just went back and watched the women’s 800m from Singapore. Best race I’ve seen since men’s 1500m in Montreal 1976. Yes I’m old.
and an interesting 5th place finish in that race:
We watched this live when I was at school. A huge sigh when Steve didn’t win
Yeah, that 800 is the greatest race I think I’ve ever seen – just spectacular